The devil and Miss Coulter

posted at 8:10 am on August 20, 2010 by J.E. Dyer

It’s so, like, OMG. As some of those young conservatives who applauded the news that Ann Coulter will too speak at the GOPRoud convention would say.

Great. Joseph Farah says Ann is being seduced by “materialistic libertarianism.” Ann says Joseph is a “publicity whore” who’s trying to get hits for WND by posting her email correspondence with him. (Farah wins the Smorgasbord of Syllables trophy for this one, but I don’t think that represents much of an informational triumph.) Neither comes off well here: Farah looks like Mr. My Tent Is Smaller Than Yours No Matter What, and Coulter like she left her manners in the overhead storage compartment on her last airline trip.

This. This! This is exactly what we need as we edge closer to November, the national debt spirals, Obama takes his imperialism for granted, and Iran closes in on a bomb! A conservative circular firing squad! Yeah, that’s an idea we’ve never had before! Quick – write that one down!

Because you know this is the way to appeal to the Tea Partiers, the independents, the libertarians, the Paleos and the ConCons – all those folks who’ve been deserting GOP candidates and losing interest in conservatism-as-usual because it seems to spend all its time whining that life is too much like the Bar Scene From Star Wars, and YOU – yes, you, over there, you with the ‘tude – are the main thing that’s cluttering it up.

I don’t care what the left thinks. The left will interpret everything in the worst light. (The left is, perforce, muted in this case, because Ann Coulter’s stand involves addressing a gay group. The snark factor has to be moderated.)

No, it’s the obvious, off-putting waste of time – and the internecine bad faith – that incidents like this project to uncertain voters and people trying to find their political way. And it’s so unnecessary. Both actors in this drama could have taken the exact same stands without turning it into a public slugfest.

Guess what. There are conservatives who believe homosexuality is wrong, and who, while they have no desire to sic the civil authorities on gays, nevertheless disapprove of gay-themed politics, period. There is a very, very large number of these people. They aren’t going away. Conservative candidates can’t win without them. Joseph Farah knows his readership and the political audience he’s trying to reach with his conference. Get over it.

And guess what. There are conservatives who don’t care, aren’t sure, or positively disagree that homosexuality is wrong. Get over that. The point of conservatism is that it’s not government’s job to go around grading people on this topic. And you know what? Most of the conservatives in this second category have philosophical problems – like those outlined by Robert S. McCain – with gay-themed politics. They’re willing to join forces with gays who espouse conservative political goals (some of them, of course, are gays), but that doesn’t mean they endorse a radical “gay” agenda.

The common thread running through conservatism is the rejection of [fill-in-the-blank]-themed politics. This is what they like to call, in the negotiating trade, common ground. There’s way more common ground between Yay-Gay-Cons and Boo-Gay-Cons than there is disputed territory. Just as there’s a lot of common ground between libertarians and social conservatives on abortion, if we break it down as an issue of federalism, judicial activism, and government funding.

We aren’t going to locate and focus on this common ground if we go around throwing hissy fits at each other every whipstitch. David Frum and Mark Levin had something similar going last year, and man, was it a colossal waste of time.

Joseph, Ann, to your corners for a time-out. So you don’t agree on this one, and your professional connection may not continue. Deal. Apologize (in private; I so don’t want to know), hug, and come out smiling. There are much more important things to spend time on. Really.

This post was promoted from GreenRoom to HotAir.com.To see the comments on the original post, look here.

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So, we’re supposed to be worried that a fight between a woman who will never appeal to moderates/independents and a fringe nutter publisher who will never appeal to moderates/independents and whom moderates/independents have never heard of, might turn off moderates/independents and cause electoral havoc come November?

I was going to say that Farah should have done a better job of getting himself out there, writing books like Coulter. But I looked him up, and he has written three obscure books since 2005. His latest? That would be “None of the Above: Why 2008 Is the Year to Cast the Ultimate Protest Vote”.

Ugh. You write an article about how the Coulter/Farrah story is a waste of time. Kind of ironic. I doubt most people on here think this story is a big deal, and I don’t think anybody (Coulter and Farrah included) are going to distracted from real issues going into November.

I thought I’d be in the minority when I decided that this article was a waste of time to read and a waste of time to write. Apparently, I’m not alone. Maybe the question that should be asked is why this article was “promoted” from the GR when it should have been routed into the virtual file 13.

This. This! This is exactly what we need as we edge closer to November, the national debt spirals, Obama takes his imperialism for granted, and Iran closes in on a bomb! A conservative circular firing squad!

Yeah some firing squad… Ann Coulter and the nutburgers at “Obama = Secret Mooselem” Daily have a spat about teh gheys, one in which Ann Coulter gets the “Strange New Respect” card, and I’m supposed to be worried about something?

GOProud truly represents a blight on the conservative movement. The more the movement embraces them and accepts them, the more it will render the conservative movement useless and irrelevant.

I love Joseph Farrah, a tough as nails jouranlist who isn’t scared by the Big Boys. He refuses to be called a conservative just because of things like this. He is a Christian first. He never comprimises what he believes in. I just wish there were more people in the media like him. Pretend pundits like Ann Coulter come and go (especially once they’ve been used by the opposition), but a man of principle like Joseph Farrah who sees the big picture and the consiquences of foolish actions. People like him will stand tall forever.

Quike frankly, I don’t get this post. Ann started nothing and she responded in the way that we’ve all known her to respond to provocation.

This is actually a great story line for the right. It proves that even the most outspoken conservative doesn’t hate those she’s accused of hating. Further, since Ann is much more respected than whoeverguyyouretalkingaboutthatrunsthatwebsite, not only will she win this, but win converts.

Ann Coulter is incorrect when she was that Joseph Farah is a publicity whore.

Joseph Farah is a nut, a looney, a wack-job, a wacko, a loose screw, a basket case who belongs in the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes and THEY’RE COMING TO TAKE HIM AWAY, HA-HA!

I understand that we should avoid conservative firing squads, but I really don’t think this kerfuffle is a deciding issue for voters. If Coulter or Farah were running for office, you might have a point, but they’re not. Moreover, I’d wager that 99.9% of voters don’t know a thing about this spat (and those who do won’t be nudged to vote any differently than they would have before they heard of this).

And while Ann was not at her best when she called Farah a “publicity whore”, she is the clear winner of this debate. Speaking to an audience is not an endorsement, and it’s silly to assume otherwise. How can we make persuasive arguments and sway opinions if we only preach to the choir?

That being said, I did enjoy your line about a Smorgasbord of Syllables.

Exactly.
I would happily vote for gay marriage (Elizabeth Taylor & Britney Spears have done enough to destroy traditional marriage.) It is a change from the usual definition of marriage — across so many different cultures that it does need a political solution (either an affirmative legislative change or a voter initiative change) not a judicial change. If “marriage” is a fundamental right, then you cannot have laws against incestuous marriage or polygamous marriage.

But consider where the debate is these days. Homosexuality is no longer a crime, nor is it considered a mental illness. And discriminating against someone simply over their bedroom partner is opening up yourself to a lawsuit & societal opprobrium. Now the debate is simply over civil unions vs. marriage.

And I do not want a government — at any level — that sticks its nose into my bedroom. Unless that “government” happens to be Jessica Alba — she can come into my bedroom any time.

I can’t read WND, it’s almost as bad as Newsmax.
Both aimed at a third-grade reading level, very poorly edited and written.
Even for a paltry budget, you should be able to get someone who can right at least at the junior high level.
NoDonkey on August 20, 2010 at 8:15 AM

1.Until recently Ann Coulter wrote for WND so what are you saying about her writing? I can’t tell you the last time I went to WND so I have no dog in that fight but you seem to be taking a cheap shot.

2. This particular group is NOT conservative. There is NOTHING conservative about their ECONOMIC plan (see specifically number 8 on their OWN LIST of legislative priorities)

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION NO MATTER WHAT IT IS FOR IS NOT CONSERVATIVE. THIS IS A CON JOB BY THIS GROUP

There’s a big difference between endorsing a group and speaking to them. Coulter’s appearances have not always been followed by an alliance, as college campuses throughout the nation will attest. The problem is not Coulter; it’s with the conservative movement, and its inability to fine-tune its identity. We’ll hear from “moderate” factions, that we have to lift someone up who will “reach across the aisle,” rather than make them do the reaching, and like McCain did in ’08, we’ll screw up again.

Then we’ll ask ourselves why again, when the answer has been right in front of us the whole time.

This is exactly what we need as we edge closer to November, the national debt spirals, Obama takes his imperialism for granted, and Iran closes in on a bomb! A conservative circular firing squad!

That’s quite a stretch. For the Conservative version of TMZ, this spat might be of interest. But the general public? No.

It seems the political junkie and GOP insider thinking is that Republicans must run the perfect campaign to win in November. Well, that ain’t gonna happen. Also, there will be some events that grab the headline between now and November 2. That will happen. This doesn’t mean the general public can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. We’re doing what the POTUS isn’t: being laser like focused on job creation (the lack of) and the flailing economy.

WND is a joke. “You can’t speak here because you speak to other people.” Really, now? Coulter made the right choice here.

If intellectual consistency is retained by World Net Daily, then they would be the sort that would not print the teachings of Christ. After all, look at some of the people he spoke to! Oh, the scandal! (And no, I’m not saying Coulter is a Christ figure).

Besides, this incident is a good thing. It has a prominent and demonized conservative breaking the stereotype that the entire GOP is a party of birthers and homophobes.

Three years ago, I never would have thought of Ann holding her own on “Red Eye” or doing 90 minutes on Opie & Anthony, which is the other thing Coulter was doing in New York on Thursday. Post-2008 election, we have seen a change in both where Ann will go and a relaxing of what the Ann Coulter of 8-10 years ago would have considered her cultural enemies.

She’s made a choice that in the Age of Obama, getting as many people over to her side as possible means that some social issues are going to be put on the back burner, compared to the economic issues, which is where Coulter thinks she and other conservatives can really pick up support. Farrah and WND disagree, but until Republicans/conservatives actually regain any power in Washington and/or in some key Blue States like California, Farrah’s not going to win this argument because the issues are in the abstract, and the Republicans can’t do anything about them legislatively. We’ll see where both Ann and WND are next year, if the GOP does pick up the House and/or Senate and makes major statehouse gains.

Hey, Dyer – how about getting over yourself? I dont know your politics, but when liberals run out of arguments it always ends with “get over it.” Give me a good reason for your arguments, or I’ll just get over you.

This is what pisses me off about the religious right, they will sit home and not vote if the candidate is not 100% with them, abortion, gay issues, etc.. And, so, yes, look who we got.. They should be ashamed of themselves.. Let’s compromise.. I personally don’t believe that abortion and gay issues should really be in politics, the ones who keep it in there are the Dem’s..

Ann is probably thrilled to get to speak in a venue where she won’t get a pie thrown in her face. I used to be a big fan, but after her regular stint on Geraldo, I don’t respect her anymore. I’m surprised she would lower herself, even for money, to appear with that scum.

Farah is a luddite who makes his money by pandering to conspiracy theorists. His writing is usually factually incorrect and intentionally misleading. Everything’s presented for maximum shock/conspiracy value.

I never go to WND, so I don’t know who writes for him, but I’d advise anyone who takes themselves seriously to bail on WND — it’s a joke, and the source of much ammo for the left in their campaign to paint all conservatives as toothless, uneducated, violent extremists.

I applaud Ann Coulter for acknowledging gay conservatives. I am one of the 5 or 6 gay conservatives living in Washington, DC. I haven’t met the other 5 yet, in fact I don’t even know any “moderate” gays in DC. I hope she draws a huge crowd of gay conservatives maybe 15 or 20 gay conservatives.

This is what pisses me off about the religious right, they will sit home and not vote if the candidate is not 100% with them, abortion, gay issues, etc.. And, so, yes, look who we got.. They should be ashamed of themselves.. Let’s compromise.. I personally don’t believe that abortion and gay issues should really be in politics, the ones who keep it in there are the Dem’s..

reshas1 on August 20, 2010 at 11:54 AM
Oh, I agree. If the country is morally bankrupt with debt and corruption, heck, let’s just forget about social decay,too.

Hey, J.E. Dyer, stick to your Facebook page and the 3 followers that you have on Twitter. Stop trying to be cute by writing on a serious page in that crappy junky style. And have a point next time, my head hurts just trying to follow your no-train of thought. Elementary school writing style should be left there.